There is something about Keith Moon's free flowing drumming style that really appeals to me.
Technical proficiency in drumming seems to take away from the feel and emotion that Moon is able to inject in the Who's music.
I have been intrigued by his waiving flowing motion through the kit and the way he held the sticks like they were conductor's wands.
I love John Bonham's power and Ian Paice's speed, but Mitch Mitchell's creativity and Moon's colourful shades of sound are all part of the drumming I like to emulate. A drum kit can be more than a time keeper.

Keith Moon... Not enough can be said about him. He was a phenomenal drummer. If you listen to the albums Live At Leeds, Who's Next or Quadrophenia then you will really see what this man could do. His playing style was very unique and has inspired me every day to play drums a little bit more. I unfortunately never got to see him live and wish that I could every day.

Would anyone care to enlighten me about Keith Moon? He is deemed a legend, yet I have never been impressed by his playing. I found his playing sloppy, especially in concert. I don't think he took his playing all that seriously. Maybe someone could help me out.

He filled the role of the sound of the Who just fine. The Who were a wild band for that era and his drumming was perfect for it. Entwistle did a great job keeping Moony in line, whilst also providing melodic things that average bass players would only dream of.

You see, drummers by themselves, aren't always that amazing. Some drummers are a "cog in the machine"... absent that cog, the band is not the same. Absent the other cogs, that drummer is not a great either.

Unless the drummer is some "Berkley guy" who does drum concertos, it's unfair to judge drummers on their own merit, while ignoring the rest of the band.

The Who (as well as MC5, etc) were the precursor to "punk", where precision is for pansies, so to speak. I mean, Pete Townsend is no guitar god either.

Check out Tommy Live , they play it a the Isle whyte Festival footage,or get the album.
I agree He Can be a bit hit or miss,his timing was notoriously sloppy in later years(due to drink and drugs) but the man is a genius, absolutely bloody mental, but a genius.
I must admit stealing a few of his fills in the past.
The Lack of Hi hat has always puzzled me aswell, but if it work it works, why follow the crowd.
some absolutely great stories about the man.

GENIUS!!!

Yeah, people really don't get the Who anyway, so I can see why Moon is generally looked down upon by the drumming elite.

He played those compositions very well, with good touch and dynamics, something many passive non-Who fans overlook. He also, despite his sloppiness, played in such a unique way (sometimes not using a hi-hat at all), nobody will ever have that sound again.

There certainly was a genius to his playing and even Simon Philips and Zach Starkey would not replicate what he did.

I agree with some one said earlier, yes, keith showed that a drum kit can be used more than time keeping. However that kind of drumming seems to work only with Townshend and enwhistle or that particular type of music. May be thats why we dont see any Keith Moon type drummers anywhere.
Even this site has videos of several drummers doing all kinds of theatrical chops etc..... all seems the same to me...excellent..... but I have never seen any drummer like keith....love to watch him play along.

Him and Charley Watts are perfect examples that we can hit high ground without even learning how to read music or taking drum lessons.

Keith Moon's unsteady drumming and Charley watts' simple steady playing with occasional rolls seem brilliant to me. I am following Charley, which seems simple, being a fan of simple strokes with smaller kit.

If moon were alive, he would have showed the world how to drum for their song "Eminence Front" in which Kenny plays steady!!

I mainly am into metal and thrashy punk, but the Who is the greatest rock n roll band in history and Keith Moon is one of my VERY few personal drum idols.

Keith's only problem was he played so many concerts smashed which retarded his budding brilliance. Keith just came along at a time when it was OK to trash hotels, drive your car into a swimming pool, drink until you can't stand up, do drugs, etc...the guy was gonzoid, but none of those personal short-comings will do anything to diminish the amazing creativity, feel and energy he brought to the kit. He was the first rock drummer "show man", and in a band with such musicial geniusus like Pete, Daltry, and the badest bassist I've ever heard in rock, Keith carried his weight.

Every time I listen to Keith's drumming it amazes me how drumming that is so complex and insane really could fit into The Who's music. Put it together with John Entwhistle's amazing bass lines and The Who probably had the greatest or one of the greatest rhythm sections in rock history.

Every time I listen to Keith's drumming it amazes me how drumming that is so complex and insane really could fit into The Who's music. Put it together with John Entwhistle's amazing bass lines and The Who probably had the greatest or one of the greatest rhythm sections in rock history.

I concur wholeheartedly with this statement.

John was a bass playing genius and a BRILLIANT singer to boot. The way he approached his harmonies, wow. And his bass playing was simply awe-inspiring. Nothing needs to be added about John as a musician. If I am starting a band, he gets the bass spot sight unseed with no auditions.

I think Keith and John complimented each other brilliantly not only as players as you alluded to, but they also compliment each other as performers. John was a more stoic, business like player while Keith was so much flash and pinash. I mean, in a lesser band Keith and John would have stolen the show and taken the entire damn audience with them. In fact, in the 60s I would argue most bands wanted the bassist and drummer to do your job, keep a beat, and don't detract from the lead guitar player or our cute singer by offering any dynamics or pizzaz. The Who was come one come all...gives us what ya got.

The Who were a great enough band with a style and feel unlike no other, humble confidence in a guitarist, and smooth appeal in a singer that it was OK to have a drummer who could literally 'steal the show' and a bass player who was in the very least, 'the most interesting' bass player to listen to for 30 years after the Who first broke.

In short, it is my belief that the Who are the only band in rock history where each member was simply not replaceable, from the standpoint of style and substance and the moment Keith died that was it. Other bands the drummer could leave and no one would really notice or care (other than fans of said player/band, who just like that guy because he's 'in' that band). The only band that comes close to the 'no member is replaceable' smell test to the Who are Led Zeppelin.

Anyone ever see the gig Keith passed out on the kit during a gig in 72 or 73 and some dude in the audience came in to play? Nuts.

Keith was really screwed up in the 70s...they did some of their best stuff in the 70s in my view (Who's Next and Quadrophenia specifically, though my favorite SONGS come from the 60s--Baba O'Reilly, Can't Explain, Kids Are Alright, We're Not Gonna Take It, I Can See For Miles, My Gen), but it's amazing they could even play gigs and screwed up as they were. That makes it all the more remarkable they had such a strong rep as a great live band.

In short, it is my belief that the Who are the only band in rock history where each member was simply not replaceable, from the standpoint of style and substance and the moment Keith died that was it. Other bands the drummer could leave and no one would really notice or care (other than fans of said player/band, who just like that guy because he's 'in' that band). The only band that comes close to the 'no member is replaceable' smell test to the Who are Led Zeppelin.

I even think Zeppelin would be replaceable. One could replace Bonzo with Cozy Powell or Alan White, and it would sound basically the same, but no one in their right mind could sound like Moon. His "technique," if one could call it that, simply cannot be taught (believe me, I tried to learn). It goes against the grain of just about every standard drum principle in the book. Kenny Jones is a FAR better technical drummer than Moon, but after Moonie died, that unmistakable sound that gave the Who its electricity died with him (Zak Starkey was the closest one to replicate it, but no one really can).

I had a kid at Guitar Center (who probably wasn't even BORN when Moonie died) tell me that Moon was a technically gifted drummer. I had to laugh. Keith never took a lesson in his life, and learned his trade the old fashioned way by listening to records and playing along. In addition, I simply could not fathom seeing him do what Bill Bruford did EVERY day. That is, break out the practice pad in his hotel room or at home and work on the 26 rudiments for 1-2 hours at a clip - SOBER. Moon couldn't play 6/8 time, according to Pete Townshend, yet his sheer instinct and personal volatility made him a true legend. We will never see the likes of him again.

An apt definition of genius is when someone breaks ALL the conventional rules and STILL makes it work. Moon clearly qualified.

Keith Moon was a technical genius and anyone who thinks he isn't doesn't understand drumming! He was good at fooling people into thinking he just hit the drums and hoped for the best. Keith was a great showman and almost like an actor, He did lie about a few things, He lied about his age and also lied about something very important...drum lessons. When he was younger he DID indeed have lessons. He also could play 6/8 time easily as can be heard in many early recordings that where unreleased and some on anthologies. Just when he was asked to play this for 'who are you' in the studio, he was having a bad day and couldn't get himself together, which was a shame.
He did indeed slow down and his playing did get worse due to his self destructive behavior.
But even when he was at his 'worst' (watch Killburn 77) he was still better than a lot of
drummers out there!. Keith is the reason I play the drums and I haven't Had lessons and thats the truth. everything I learned growing up I learned from watching and listening to him, then as I developed my own style I picked up things from other drummers.

Keith was a one and only and his style cant be compared to anyone else because he's so unique and so are all drummers! You cant say Bonham is better or Moon is better because they where so different!

But thats my 2 cents, Keith is a drumming legend and inspired many and I thank him so much for everything he's done for me in spirit. I miss him and Wish i could have a chance to chat with him and thank him for helping me find a style I'm comfortable in playing in.

No one ever tried to follow his route I think because of the music style or following the same old "groove thing" or being afraid to get out of that comfortable groove thing and try something new which was never ever written in books or the so called " DVD'S ".

One thing I just noticed while watching the moon drumming videos is the micing of his drums is very different, seems all drums are tuned equally or have equal pitch.
Again, his movement doesnt seem to synchronise with what we hear, especially the Live at the isle of wright video.

I still believe every rock song has a Keith Moon way of drumming which no one ever tried.

I'm sorry, Ihave just been reading this thead. The 1970 'WHO' gig at IOW the drumming was over dubed.
If dropping sticks, wagling them around franticly and aimlessly when some guy's back stage playing for you becourse you can't do the job. If that makes you inovative and great.

I'm sorry, Ihave just been reading this thead. The 1970 'WHO' gig at IOW the drumming was over dubed.
If dropping sticks, wagling them around franticly and aimlessly when some guy's back stage playing for you becourse you can't do the job. If that makes you inovative and great.

I think he's a good drummer, but it was his stage prescense that really made people enjoy his drumming. Normal people don't care if you can play like, say, Carter Beauford, but if you blow up your drum set, people will like you.

I think he's a good drummer, but it was his stage prescense that really made people enjoy his drumming.

You may have a point, but I'm not sure what it is. Gene Krupa had great stage presence but I'm pretty sure that it was his drumming that got him over to the audience.
Anyway, forget stage presence. Listen to the recordings. Listen to the way he played, totally unique, very musical. You don't honestly think the band kept him just for his stage presence do you?

In my view, during late 60's, the early recordings, like I Cant Explain, the "overdrumming" makes the song unique, makes the band unique, makes the drummer unique, who wants to see the same old traditional drumming all the time. (in rock music)?

always, less is less.

I think it is mainly the drum teachers who doesnt like his playing.

I am "learning" to play like Moon along the traditional records.

Daltrey says, if they take the drums out of The Who music, the music is nothing, it is the drumming that make the song cohesive.

Moon was lucky to play with folks like Townshend, Daltry and Enwhistle who appreciates overdrumming.

I couldn't help but think last night watching the half time show that if keith were behind the kit still how much nicer the drums would have sounded. They guy did an all right job but he was not Keith! So much seemed to be missing but I could hear the rest in my head...LOL

OK-Im a 49 year old Yank and you better believe that MOON was THE MAN in the day..simply above and beyond all others...if you listen to Tommy,Live at leeds(especially),Whos next and Quad...well,the man was posessed,Amazing!!the rolls and Fills and his entire style were just mesmerizing...I mean,just incredible,he was a man on fire for the years 69-74...the Peak.Only Carl palmer was as good or better.Keith Moon is in a class by himself....too bad he suffered the same fate as my other main man Bonzo....who was great in Zep from say 69-74 until Booze and drugs slowed him...peace

As a life long fan, always loved his style,Hitting crashes in the middle of a beat,just insane stuff,no hi hat???? Are you kidding............Guy was unreal,his like will never come again..........And while his drumming went downhill as his health went south,..Durring his time he was the man........Young Man Blues on Live At Leeds his drumming is WOW..............The Who where never the same.Thats how important he was to the band.